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Backyard Bird Surveys - Autumn/Winter 2006

Backyard Bird Surveys - Autumn/Winter 2006

Six hundered and sixteen surveys were submitted during the Autumn/Winter period of the 2006 Birds in Backyards survey. Of these, 361 submissions have been 20-minute one-day surveys from urban backyards and urban parks. We provide some brief results from these records below.

There have been some significant changes in the frequencies with which different species have been recorded in this period, compared with the Spring/Summer surveys. The most noticable change is the drop from first place to 7th place in the ranking of the Noisy Miner. Further analysis is required to determine whether this drop reflects a genuine change in activity, or whether there has been an overall change in the locations from which surveys are being returned. We will do this analysis at the end of the winter period.

Other species which have been recorded significantly less frequently include the Common Myna, Rainbow Loikeet, Grey Butcherbird and, inevitably, the migratory Koel and Channel-billed Cuckoos.

Perhaps in correspondence with the lower reporting rate of Noisy Miners, there has been an increase in reporting of several smaller native species. The New Holland Honeyeater, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-browed Finch, Eastern Spinebill, Silvereye and Willie Wagtail have all made it into the top 20 during the Autumn/Winter period. The Pied Currawong and Red Wattlebird have also been recorded more frequently.

Percentage of gardens in which each species was recorded in 20-minute one-day surveys.

Species

Autumn/ Winter

Spring/ Summer

Red Wattlebird

38

32

Pied Currawong

34

28

Rainbow Lorikeet

32

41

Common Myna

28

36

New Holland Honeyeater

27

19

Australian Magpie

26

35

Noisy Miner

26

43

Crimson Rosella

25

18

Crested Pigeon

23

31

House Sparrow

19

17

Superb Fairy-wren

18

12

Red-browed Finch

17

6

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

17

18

Spotted Turtledove

17

22

Eastern Spinebill

17

4

Silvereye

16

12

Magpie-lark

13

19

Willie Wagtail

12

12

Australian King-Parrot

12

12

Common Blackbird

12

12

Grey Fantail

9

1

Galah

9

13

Spotted Pardalote

9

4

Common Starling

7

2

Red-whiskered Bulbul

6

8

White-plumed Honeyeater

6

1

Grey Butcherbird

6

13

Little Wattlebird

5

7

Eastern Rosella

5

5

Laughing Kookaburra

5

10

Australian Raven

4

9

Satin Bowerbird

4

2

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike

2

2

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo

2

2

Common Koel

1

14

Noisy Friarbird

0

3

Channel-billed Cuckoo

0

2

Two species that don't make it into the rankings, but which have been the subject of a number of inquiries are the Australian White Ibis and the Australian Brush-turkey. Both these species are currently the subject of research projects in the Sydney region.

Postcode areas in which the Australian White Ibis (red dots) and Australian Brush-turkey (yellow dots)have been recorded in the Backyard Birds survey.